


Nightmares

by IncaSisters



Category: Animaniacs
Genre: Don't worry he gets them, Dot is a great little sister, Dreams and Nightmares, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fear, Flash Fic, Fluff and Angst, Gen, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Older brother Yakko, One Big Happy Family, One Shot, Protective Siblings, Sibling Bonding, Sibling Fluff, Sibling Love, Warner siblings, Yakko needs a hug
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-19
Updated: 2021-01-19
Packaged: 2021-03-18 06:07:10
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,853
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28862268
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IncaSisters/pseuds/IncaSisters
Summary: "Yakko had tried to run towards the car, but the more he ran, the further the car appeared to be. And the faster he tried running, the slower he seemed to go."Yakko wakes up from a nightmare with a dreadful feeling he can't shake. Luckily, his sister is by his side to make him feel better.
Relationships: Dot Warner & Wakko Warner & Yakko Warner, Dot Warner & Yakko Warner, Dr. Otto Scratchansniff & Yakko Warner
Comments: 8
Kudos: 90





	Nightmares

**Author's Note:**

> First fic of the year! Whoo! I hope you all had a nice start to the year! I know we're still in quarantine and stressed with school starting back up, but here's a fic to brighten your day/night! Yes, this was also posted on ff.net

Being locked away in a water tower for decades with two younger siblings to take care of, one would think bad dreams were a common occurrence. With the stress that being the oldest brings, Yakko was surprised at how rarely he experienced them. Tonight, however, Yakko found himself lying awake with unease weighing down his chest. 

He had woken up with a jump. His heart racing in his chest and chills down his spine. Yakko sat up as best he could, considering he was in a pool filled with plastic balls. He ran his hand through his hair and tried to slow down his breathing.

He wasn't necessarily afraid. In fact, the dream wasn't the typical scary dream about monsters and goblins. It was worse, at least with monsters and goblins, Yakko knew it was just his imagination running wild. 

He had found himself alone in the water tower. All the lively energy and chaotic activities had ceased to exist. Yakko could hear his own footsteps as he walked around the place. His voice echoed through the metal walls when he called out for his siblings. He couldn't find them anywhere. 

Taking him an incredibly long time to figure out how the locks on the door worked, Yakko stepped outside into the balcony. Below him, he saw Dot and Wakko talking to this man, a stranger. 

At first, Yakko was upset that they were there without him. He specifically remembered telling them that talking to strangers was out of the question unless he was there with him. Now, they were standing outside, with a man he has never seen before. 

Yakko climbed down the latter, and he had felt a hand pull him back as he got closer to his siblings. He called out to them, but another hand reached over his mouth and shut him up. 

"You failed, Yakko," the man said, leaning down towards him. "We'll take them someplace better."

Pulling the hand away from his mouth he asked, "Am I coming too?" 

The man didn't answer him, he didn't have to. Yakko quickly realized that the man had no intention of bringing him along. 

Yakko had tried to run towards the car, but the more he ran, the further the car appeared to be. And the faster he tried running, the slower he seemed to go. 

What made it worse was that his siblings were compliant. Dot and Wakko had gotten inside the car without any hesitation.

Yakko had tried to scream and call out to them again. Tried asking them why they were so eager to leave, but neither of them answered him. The only thing he heard was his sister's sigh and her look of disappointment in her eyes. 

He woke up when the car door slammed shut. 

Yakko rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and laid there for a while. Monsters and goblins were nothing compared to what he has just woken up from. This was a real possibility. Yakko knew that this dream could come true, and that's what scared the shit out of him. 

But Yakko knew that that would never happen. They were under contract with the Studio. Plotz would never allow them to get separated... would he? He has been prone to selling them off to other production companies, but they usually got shipped off together. 

Laying in the ball pit he calls a bed, Yakko assured himself that his siblings were still with him. He looked up and could hear Wakko snoring and saw Dots doll dangling off the bed. Knowing that his sibs were just a few feet away helped, but he still couldn't shake the feeling. 

_Was he really failing as a brother?_

Would they really be so eager to leave him behind if something like that happened? 

While the thought of his siblings leaving him behind hurt him, the idea that he wasn't being a good caretaker was begining to terrify him. 

His mind conjured up a million outcomes, each one worse than the last, of what would happen if his dream came to life. Having his siblings get ripped away from him while he stood there, unable to change a thing. His eyes burned with tears as his thoughts betrayed him. What would he do?

Yakko has been able to soothe Dot with kisses and cuddles, Wakko with back rubs until he falls asleep. He had no idea what to do to calm himself down. 

Sure, he had his panic attacks here and there, but those were rare... although, they have been getting pretty bad since shooting the reboot. He liked to think it was just stress, but deep down, he knew it more than the stress of being a toon star. 

Besides, he was the oldest... no one ever had to worry about the oldest. 

Coffee should make him feel better, it always makes him feel better. Yakko cursed as he tried to unbury himself from the plethora of rainbow balls that surrounded him. The sound of plastic against plastic echoing through the place. 

Making his way into the kitchen, he grabbed the leftover coffee from the morning and reheated it. He was too lazy to prepare a new brew. He added a teaspoon of sugar, which is less than what he usually adds in, but Yakko knew that getting a sugar rush in his state of mind would be a bad idea. He skipped the milk too.

Yakko leaned over the countertop and watched the rise and fall of the blankets his baby siblings were sleeping under. It might be weird, but watching, or at least making sure his siblings were still breathing, was comforting to him. Maybe it was the fact that he was responsible for their well being, and having one of them die was definitely not something that he liked thinking about. 

Dr. Scratchnsniff had told him that many kids find comfort in making sure the people they cared about were okay. He also said that it is usually triggered by some sort of encounter with death, and it makes sense because it all started after they had filmed _Wakko's Wish_. 

As much as Yakko didn't want to admit it, the scene where Dot died stuck with him. To make it even better, he had read the first draft of the newest episodes for the reboot. He saw that there was going to be one about gun control, and Wakko apparently had a scene too. 

But even though death was one way to break families apart, it was inevitable. No one can predict death, and once it happens, there really is nothing you can do to change it. His dream, however, was different. His siblings choose to leave him... willingly. There was something that he had done wrong to make them want to leave him behind. That's what made it terrifying. 

Yakko took a sip from his coffee and sighed. He had to think about something else before he had a mental breakdown on his kitchen floor. He gave a small smile at the thought before he noticed Dot roll around in her bed. 

She stretched as she leaned up on her elbows and rolled over. 

Yakko thought she was going to fall back asleep, but instead, she sat up and lazily climbed out of bed. 

She made her way to the bathroom, and Yakko was glad that she didn't notice him awake. For a second, he thought he had woken her up or something. 

Dot came back and sighed when she saw Wakkos blanket dangling down from his bed. She climbed onto her bed and reached up to grab the dangling blanket, mumbling to herself about how Wakko was going to freeze to death one day. Did he not get cold? 

She neatly placed the blanket on top of her brother as best she could. Dot was reaching over the edge of the bunks trying to get Wakko nice and cozy.

She peeked below her and expected to find her eldest brother buried in plastic, but his bed was empty. For a second, she thought that maybe she didn't see him in Wakkos bed. But when she looked up, she noticed Yakko leaned over the kitchen counter. 

Yakko waved, and Dot climbed out of bed. 

"Midnight snack?" She asked in a low voice as she approached him.

Yakko shrugged and gulped the last bit of coffee down, "Nah, it's more of a midnight drink."

Dot watched him a place to empty cup in the sink, "You know, you should really try drinking more water. It makes your skin happy and healthy."

"Okay, miss Walgreens, I'll keep that in mind.". 

Dot sat down in one of the chairs and leaned towards her brother, "Why are you awake so early?"

"You could have also asked why I'm up so late."

"No, I was there when we fell asleep. You woke up. Besides, since when do you miss out on sleep?"

Yakko smiled.

"You're okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, can a guy not drink coffee at midnight?"

Dot raised an eyebrow, "He can, but you see, you're the kind of guy that prefers a fresh brew and a gallon of sugar in his coffee..."

Yakko looked over to where Dot was gesturing. He noticed the scoop that he took out from the sugar left a neat dent. "Talk about observant..."

Dot smiled, "As a lady should."

Yakko grabbed the coffee and placed it back in the cabinets. "Come on, let's get you back to bed."

"Wow, trying to get rid of me already?" 

Yakko felt his stomach drop, and a wave of panic crashed over him when she heard the phrase leave her mouth.

Dot stopped giggling when she realized her brother wasn't laughing alongside her. Did she say something wrong?

"What?" she asked.

Yakko stared at her for a bit and shook his head, "Nothing."

Something inside her told her that Yakko was upset about something, "Are you sure? You look sad."

Yakko looked at her for a moment, thinking about what to say to that. "Sad?"

She nodded, "Yeah, like, I don't know, you just look a bit sad. Was it something I said?"

Yakko smiled, "I'm not sad."

"And you're also a great liar."

"I'm an amazing liar."

"Right," Dot said as she slouched over the counter. "See, I knew you woke up for something..."

Yakko playfully rolled his eyes, "It doesn't matter, Dot. Now come one, let's get you to bed." Yakko held his hand out, "I'll go with you."

"Oh, so it was a dream." 

"A dream?"

Dot nodded.

"What made you jump to that conclusion?"

"It's 3 am in the morning, and it's the only other thing I could think of that fits the context."

Yakko broke eye contact and shrugged, "So what if it was, it was just a dream. Besides, it's over now." 

She gasped, "I knew it."

He saw his sister's face soften and he smiled at her. He reached over and ruffled her hair, "I'm fine, I promise."

Dot raised an eyebrow, "I mean, the dream's over, but that doesn't mean we're automatically fine when we wake up. You out of all people should know that, mister." She sat up and pointed towards him, "That's what you told me, remember?" 

Yakko fought back a facepalm. She was right, that was exactly what he had told her a few months back. When Dot had woken up crying from an unsettling dream and tried to play it off like it was nothing. Kind of like he was doing now... 

"Oh wow, okay, pull the Uno reverse card, why don't you," Yakko chuckled. 

She giggled and blinked innocently. She was glad she was able to get Yakko laughing. Her excitement died down when she saw her brother return back to his previous state. 

Dot wanted to know how he gets Wakko and her to talk. When he does it, they talk to him so easily. He always knew just what to say to them. Dot wished she had those skills now because she never realized how hard it is to talk to people about their feelings. 

"Do you want a snack?" Yakko asked. It came out of nowhere.

She shook her head, "I'm okay."

"Then let's get you back to bed." Yakko made his way around the counter and Dot jumped off from her chair and held his hand as they walked back towards their beds. 

"What if I'm not tired? Can I sleep with you?" Dot asked as she jumped into his bed without waiting for a response. She buried herself in the plastic and smiled up at him. 

"Sure, I don't mind," Yakko was glad that she had offered to join him. Some company should help him fall back asleep. Especially knowing that she was right next to him if his dreams decided to fuck him over again. 

Dot snuggled close to him as he got himself comfortable, she grabbed Yakkos arm and placed it under her head, using it as a pillow. 

Yakko pulled her into a hug. He didn't let go of her. He kept her close as if letting go meant she'd disappear. 

She didn't mind the hug at all, she never did. She giggled and hugged him back, planting a kiss on his cheek. She let him go and placed his arm back under her head. 

Dot looked over at Yakko, who was now staring at the top of her bed. She knew her brother wasn't hugging her because he was happy. It felt different. This hug felt heavy, no less enjoyable, but her brother felt... heavy. Besides, her jumping into his bed to cuddle had ulterior motives. 

"What was it about?" She asked. 

"Uhhhh, it's silly."

"That's pretty on-brand for us, don't you think?"

Wakko shifted in his bed, causing Yakko to look up and smile. Yakko hoped they didn't wake him up. 

"It's okay if you don't want to talk about it," Dot finally said. She knew that she shouldn't force him to talk. 

Why was it so hard to get him to talk anyway? Was it because he was older? She knew older people didn't like talking to people about stuff like this, and neither do guys. She figured since Yakko was both of those combined... 

"It's not that I don't want to tell you," Yakko said, "Just... you think I'm a good brother, right?"

Dot looked up at him, "You? A bad brother? That's like asking if the Earth is flat... of course not! You and Wakko are the best older brothers a girl could ask for." Dot tried to lean up, "What made you think you aren't?"

A million thoughts sprang into Yakkos brain again. Why did he think he was a bad brother? Yakko has thought about it before, and his logical side knew that there really wasn’t any reason for him to believe he was failing, but his emotional side said otherwise.

"Well, I dreamed that you guys left to live somewhere else because I wasn't able to take care of you two." Yakko looked at his sister, "But it's over now." 

Dot shook her head. She squished her brother's face between her hands and gave him a soft smile, “Don’t worry, I'll make sure to let you know if you mess anything up. We're all still here together, aren't we?”

Yakko nodded. She was right. After all these years of being locked up in a water tower, they never seemed to get tired of him. "You like it here too, right?" he asked just to make sure. 

"In the water tower?" she looked around the room, "Well, it beats being homeless, but you guys make it fun!" 

"Good."

"And besides, Wakko and I would never just leave you. We go where you go, and you go where we go. It's always been like that, and it will always be like that." Dot kissed his cheek, "You can't get rid of us even if you wanted to!"

"I'd never get rid of you two," Yakko said as he nuzzled her. 

Dot giggled.

The two laid there for a while, listening to the ticking clock and Wakkos snores. Yakko felt relieved to know that his sister had no plans on leaving him anytime soon. He knew Wakko felt the same way, but he wasn't going to wake him up just to make sure. That would be selfish. 

Even though he already knew that his siblings loved him it made it better to hear it from her. Especially after the dream version of his siblings tossed him to the pigs. 

“You’re a great brother,” Dot whispered. She felt her brother rub the top of her head. He knew how to get her to sleep. 

Yakko looked down at his sleeping sister and softly sighed. He felt so much better than he did a few moments before. And to think, he was on the verge of a panic attack on his kitchen floor. 

Dot fell asleep first, and Yakko fell asleep right after. This time, He was met with pleasant dreams that carried on into the morning.

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this one out last week and it took me so long to get it edited because of school and time. I hope you guys liked it! And if you're here from my Tumblr, *insert Jessie meme here* hey... and thank you so much!
> 
> For those curious, here's my shameless plug for my Tumblr: @thatgirlandyboi
> 
> Feel free to comment and Happy reads everybody!!


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